Martin Dubravka’s nervous performance for Manchester United in yesterday’s Carabao Cup win over Burnley highlights the need for more than a safe pair of hands at Old Trafford.
United are reportedly currently negotiating a new reduced contract for David de Gea to keep him at the club, but whether or not those negotiations are successful, another goalkeeper will almost certainly be required at the end of the season.
A prominent name on the list is reportedly Borussia Moenchengladbach’s Yann Sommer, whose contract with the Bundesliga side ends in June.
United were said to have made a bid for the 34-year-old last summer but were turned down, so they turned to Dubravka.
Sommer was said to have been worried about losing his World Cup place to Switzerland if he did not play football regularly.
United hoped to target the international again next summer before it was reported that Bayern Munich planned to swoop on him in January.
Regular goalkeeper Manuel Neuer broke his leg in a skiing accident just after Germany’s World Cup elimination, so the Bavarians are in desperate need of a quality replacement.
This seemed to have scuttled United’s chances of that June free move, but now Bild (via Sport Witness) say Bayern’s proposal may only be for the very short term.
“Bayern’s idea is to take Sommer in January and offer him a deal until the end of this season. This would allow him to ‘fulfill his dream’ of England and Manchester United in the summer ”, summarizes Sport Witness.
“The goalkeeper has already had contact with both Erik ten Hag’s team and Bayern.
“Due to their difficult financial situation, Bild explains that Gladbach can hardly refuse a multi-million dollar offer, especially since the player’s contract expires in 2023.
“If Bayern end up signing Sommer at short notice, then Manchester United can sign him for free next summer. If the Ten Hag side decide to move for him in January, they could get him for an affordable €5m.”
United have also been linked with a number of other goalkeepers, including FC Porto’s Diogo Costa, Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martínez and Atlético Madrid’s Jan Oblak.
At 34, Sommer is the oldest option on the table, but she’s also certainly the most affordable.
